Athletics' Offense Finally Wakes Up: Takeaways From Series Finale Win

Even though the Athletics would lose the series outright, they would deliver a great performance from top to bottom.

Aug 28, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Jacob Lopez (57) reacts to striking out Baltimore Orioles first baseman Coby Mayo (16) during the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Athletics needed to come out of Texas with something.

After getting swept by the Orioles, followed by two depressing losses to start the series, the Athletics had clearly hit their wall. But after starting the series finale slowly, the Athletics would turn on the jets and complete a dominant 9-2 victory. A victory that could give us hope for the upcoming Mariners series.

Henry Bolte Is Staple of Athletics' Future

Aug 24, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics center fielder Henry Bolte (33) high fives teammates after scoring against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is no question that Henry Bolte has been one of the best players for the Athletics since the break and will be a cornerstone of the Athletics' future. His speed alone made him a standout in the Athletics' rotation, but since he has added power to his game, he could develop into the most well-rounded player that the Athletics will have on the roster in the future.

In the win, Bolte went 3-for-4 with two two-run home runs, along with a walk. This display of raw power is worth noting as Bolte has developed this season. In 176 first-half at-bats, he hit just three home runs. In his first 156 at-bats of the second half, Bolte has already hit five. And while the difference is small, it is hard to ignore the overall improvements from half to half.

Jacob Lopez Is Starting To Crack

Aug 5, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Athletics' pitcher Jacob Lopez (57) throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jacob Lopez, like Bolte, has improved significantly since the first half. However, with improvement comes higher expectations; expectations that are starting to get a bit ambitious. In the win, Lopez would post 6.0 innings while allowing six hits and two home runs. Not a bad outing on paper whatsoever.

However, when you consider that he was pulled in the fifth inning of the Orioles game due to inefficiency, and the fact that he allowed two home runs in the first two innings in the win, it might be time to brace for an ugly start here very soon. These home runs could start to come with runners on base, something that might be too hard for the Athletics to overcome.

Can Geoff Hartlieb Be Sustainable?

Jul 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Athletics pitcher Geoff Hartlieb against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After news broke that Jose Suarez would be getting DFA'd after a string of terrible outings, it meant that we would see Geoff Hartlieb back in the green and gold. And while Hartlieb had been inconsistent as a pitcher all season, he delivered a gem in the win, pitching 2.0 innings while allowing just three hits and no runs.

The Athletics have a handful of pitchers who can go multiple innings out of the bullpen, including Scott Blewett and Chris Roycroft, along with a few others if Mark Kotsay is feeling lucky on a given night. If Hartlieb can prove to be reliable when the Athletics need innings, we could see even more bullpen improvements down the stretch.